A Night on Brickmore Hill
by Alicia Hardy
Summary: A writing prompt for Halloween I found online and bit. Please review, follow, and or stay tuned :
1. Chapter 1

**_I found this writing prompt online, and desperately needed something to break my writer's block. Sorry :) Here this is. _**

**_John Petty was a college student at Brickmore College, in upstate New York. The college had mostly rich students, but John was admitted on a scholarship, and his parents had very little money. He desperately needed a new computer, but he didn't have any money, so he looked at the Help Wanted ads in the local _****_Brickmore Gazett_****_e. One ad was intriguing:_**

* * *

John sat down at his roommate's laptop with a sigh. "Thanks, Able. I promise, I'll make it up to you somehow."

Able shrugged. "Just, if mine breaks, let me mess around with yours. It's no big deal," he said, flopping onto his bed and picking up his heavy law book. "And poke me if I start to snore. I need to finish studying for the LSATs."

"I thought you were taking them next semester." John quickly opened up the browser, opening it to the local newspaper's website and clicking on the _Help wanted _section.

"Changed my mind. Figured I had enough time this semester."

"Ah."

Able fell silent as he opened the book, and John knew better than to interrupt. He glanced through the ads one by one, sighing.

Babysitting, cleaning out gutters, dogwalker... what's this?

John clicked on the link and pulled it up larger so he could see it.

_I need a house sitter for one night. I have a large empty house on top of Brickmore Hill, which I have been trying, unsuccessfully, to sell since 1995. It used to be a fraternity house for members of the Brickmore College baseball team, but on October 31, 1995, the boys at the frat had a Halloween Party that ended tragically. I prefer not to say anything about that party because the details are extremely gruesome. The sad fact of the matter is that, for 13 years, I have been unable to sell the house, and I am trying to keep it from falling into disrepair. On past Halloweens, the local kids have broken windows, and worse, so I need someone to stay there the whole night to make sure no harm comes to my building. I will pay $3000 for anybody willing to do this, but I must be completely honest and disclose the fact that previous house sitters have run out of the house in the middle of the night because they were convinced the house was haunted by ghosts. Some of them were so scared that they went completely crazy and had to be committed to a mental institution. If you have the courage to accept this job, please call me. –Dick Shore, 917-555-1221_

"Yes!" John cheered, much to Able's annoyance. "Oops, sorry, but you were starting to drift off, anyways."

"Are you going to tell me what is so exciting?" he asked.

John just smiled. "Don't make plans for Halloween. I have to make a couple phone calls." John grabbed his cell and quickly typed in and saved the number on the screen. "Be right back."

He ran into the hallway and down into the unoccupied study room, then quickly called the number. "Dick Shore?" he asked, excitedly.

"Yes, who is this?"

"I would be happy to accept that job that you posted in the paper. Just one question, though."

"Name it," he said, sounding very relieved.

"Can I bring one friend and the Ghostbusters with me? I'm being perfectly serious," he amended quickly. "I have a couple of friends-"

"Yes, yes, of course," the man hurried on. "I'll meet you there on the 31st, bright and early."

John frowned. "I don't get out of class until three on Friday."

The man paused, then spoke quickly. "I'll see you no later than three thirty!" There was a click, and John stared curiously at the phone.

"That was weird," he muttered, dialing another number. As the ringing stopped and someone answered the other line, he responded promptly.

"Remember how I saved you from the Chem T.A. back in our freshman year? You owe me one, and I'm calling in to collect a favor." As the voice protested, he shook his head and talked over her.

"Don't pull that on me. You owe me, and this will be fun. It involves a mystery." He smiled at the silence on the other end. "What are you doing for Halloween?"

"We were planning on having a small mystery dinner party," the girl said with a sigh, "But you are lucky. Three of our guests just cancelled on us. What can I do for you?"

"I have a job offer in a haunted frat house. I need the money, you need a mystery, and the guy was desperate enough to hire me he's allowing me to bring you. Say yes?"

There was a long pause, followed by a sigh. "Who do I bring?"

John smiled triumphantly. "Your brothers, definitely. and if you know any other amature detectives, bring them too."

"Yeah, I'll call up Mystery Inc. and the Bobbsey twins."

"Haha. I'll see you on the thirty first. Four o'clock. Brickmore Hill." As he moved to hang up, he remembered. "Oh! Alicia! Bring Ghostbusters with you! All of them!" There was a resounding click, and he smiled.

"Best job ever," he muttered, walking back to the room. Not to mention he'd get to see Alicia again. Any excuse was good enough for him. Opening the door to his room, he smiled and grabbed a pen from his desk. "Able, you really shouldn't fall asleep studying."

* * *

_Stay tuned for Halloween! _


	2. Chapter 2

Alicia stared up at the creepily vacant fraternity house at 5:30 on Friday. It was a grand building: Large, richly furnished, a lighted pathway, huge garden, a large driveway complete with an overhang... basically, paradise for the poor college student. She sighed and glanced at the three that were with her.

"Thanks for giving up your Halloween for this. I'm sorry I can't tell you anymore, but I have no idea what is going on myself."

"You soon will!" A voice called behind her. "It's an on-the-job party! We'll tell ghost stories, watch ghost movies, maybe see some ghosts of our own... Hey, you even brought Mystery Inc!"

Alicia had indeed. With Joe walking a stuffed dog on an invisible dog leash, dressed in a green tee and jeans, Frank in a white polo, blonde wig, and ascot, and Alicia in red and orange with her hair dyed dark and sling bobbed.

"Funny, I would have sworn Joe would be Fred, You'd be Daphne, and Frank would be Velma," he smirked.

Alicia stuck out her tongue, and Frank looked mildly perturbed. "Alicia decided," Joe said, pointing to the fourth member of their party. "Nancy Drew, John Petty. John Petty, my brother's not-girlfriend girl-friend."

"I'm going home now," Frank said with a weary sigh. "The two hour drive up here was exhausting enough."

"Not-girlfriend girl-friend?" John asked.

Nancy held out her hand, holding back a sigh of her own. "Long story short? We're both single and this one won't stop pushing us together, even though it's only been about seven months since..." She trailed off, distracted slightly.

((_**AN: Thanks to one of my biggest reviewers, there is a story coming that will explain this and more. This, however, is not that story.**_))

"I get it, not my buisness," John said cheerily. "Well, let's not linger in doorways, come in, come in." He led them through the big front door into a large entryway, then into a side room where a large TV sat on a make-shift entertainment set, surrounded by pillows, blankets, and candy wrappers. John pointed to the man sprawled out on the floor with a giant text book. "That party pooper is my roommate, Able. He's studying for the LSAT's, supposedly, so I suspect he won't be much fun tonight."

"I'm not planning on studying the whole night," Able grumbled. "Just leave me alone and I'll be finished quicker."

John sighed and motioned to the pillows. "Sorry, this was all the furnishing I was able to fit in the bike basket. Please, make yourselves comfortable."

Alicia was the first to sit down, smoothing out the red mini skirt in silence. "You alright, Alicia?" Nancy asked, sitting next to her. "You're not one to stay silent for so long, and this is your mystery, and you usually are so excited."

"This is _his _mystery, and I am just here as a favor. We're even now." She didn't look happy, and refused to look over at John as he sat down next to her.

"She's not happy with me because I was right and she was wrong, and I may have rubbed it in a little." He shrugged. "And no matter how many times I apologized, she's still mad."

Alicia rolled her eyes. "Will you fill us in on what's going on here, Mr. Modesty?"

His smile grew as Frank and Joe sat down as well and Able looked up from his law book. "Well, the owner gave me a disclaimer that everyone else has run terrified from the house, and he was too afraid to watch it himself. Ghosts of the baseball team that used to call this home are said to reside here, dooming everyone to relive their bloody tale. One of the girls that watched this very house is in St. Margret's mental medical facility, murmuring incoherently about bodies everywhere." He paused dramatically, then looked over his shoulder. "I figured it wouldn't be possible for all of us to chicken out, and what better way to celebrate Halloween than in a haunted house filled with ghosts?"

"Not at all," Joe said. "If it were haunted."

"You sound skeptical," John smirked. "Don't worry, I'll change your mind later. First, let's set the mood with Ghost busters. Then we'll tell the story of what happened here many years ago."

Alicia sighed and leaned back on her hands as John stood up to fix up the TV and grab the popcorn. _This is going to be a long Halloween._


	3. Chapter 3

As John was popping popcorn in the thirteen year old microwave, Nancy came into the semi dark kitchen and sat on the counter next to him.

"Sorry, curiosity is my nature, and I have _never _seen Alicia display as much open dislike for someone as much as she has today," she said bluntly. "So what's the deal? You don't seem to share the resentment."

John chuckled. "Alicia doesn't like owing favors, no matter how casual. She just can't stand the fact that she owes me so many, and this is only the second one I've called in, although, I hardly call watching Ghostbusters a favor." He sighed then stopped the microwave as he looked at Nancy. "Honestly, I'm calling these in just so I can see her again. There is no guy that can keep up with her for any long period of time, and she is... she's a golden girl for any college guy. Jock, nerd, Joe Shmoe..."

Nancy shook her head. "That wouldn't bug Alicia, she's dealt with worse. So?"

"So what?"

"What's the real story?" Nancy rested her head on her hand, listening, waiting intently. John sighed again.

"It was freshman year, we were in the same GE, that's general education, class. Geology 101 or something. Alicia and I were lab partners, and I thought we really hit it off. Dr. Sykes said he never saw a group with more through work than what we handed in. To tell you the truth, we did the work the night before and left class early every day. Well, the creep of a teaching assistant wanted to talk to all of the lab partners about the final project. I noticed he had scheduled two groups at times when one of the partners couldn't be there. The one was a girl name Lyndsy Taylor. Her partner, Danzel Roberts, was on the football team, and it was well known he had practice in the evenings. The other was ours, even though I know for a fact the TA saw me working the previous evening."

"I'm not one usually to be paranoid about that sort of thing, but something just felt off. I asked Alicia not to go without me..." John trailed off, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the counter tighter. "I hate being right, especially about something like that, but I can't keep my mouth shut when I am. But I don't care." He straightened up. "Because of me, nothing happened and that's good enough."

Nancy still looked confused. "She's... mad at you for saving her?"

"Well... no..." John said sheepishly. "In the heat of the moment, I... may... or may not have- uh- commented on her... superb sleuthing skills... in a very sarcastic tone... and the fight developed from there... where I continued to insert my foot further down my throat..."

Nancy raised an eyebrow. "And your pride just keeps finding ways for you to avoid taking the blame, and hers from telling you exactly what's on her mind. Got it." She hopped off the counter. "Well, as long as it's reasonable. Thanks."

"Seriously?" he called after her. "That's all you had to say?"

Nancy turned around with a smile. "I just wanted to appease my curiosity."

"You're not going to... I don't know, scold me, tell me to swallow my pride and apologize?"

She shook her head. "I'm a detective, John. I tell people what they don't already know." She grabbed the popcorn and waved it at him. "See you back in there. You won't want to miss the Giant Stay Puff Marshmallow man."

John sighed and followed her back, just in time for the power to go out. Alicia squeaked and looked a little rattled as Joe scooted closer to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, isn't this spooky?" John said with a smirk, picking up a couple flashlights from the table, tossing one to Frank and turning on the other.

"Come on!" Able yelled. "I was almost done with the Logic puzzle part. I could have been done!"

Frank stood and turned on the other flashlight as Nancy pulled hers out of her purple handbag. "Where are the breakers?"

"Down this way," Able said, getting to his feet with a sigh. "I had to mess with it earlier."

"Hold on!" John called, stopping everyone in their tracks. "This is the perfect atmosphere to tell the story of what happened thirteen years ago." He motioned for everyone to sit back down. Frank and Nancy shrugged and sat without much ado, but Able looked mutinous.

"My LSATs..." John stared, an eyebrow raised, and Able sighed, then sat. "Alright, so tell us. What did happen thirteen years ago?"

John smiled. "It all started at Homecoming..."

_**To be continued...**_


	4. Chapter 4

Alicia whimpered, shrinking behind her brothers. "That… is so… gross! Did you have to put so much detail into it?"

Nancy also looked a little green, shivering as Frank put a hand on her shoulder. "Totally creepy, and not much creeps me out. Scares me, maybe. Confuses me, definitely. Creeps me out?" She shuddered again.

"I agree, that is sick," Joe said with an odd look on his face. "No wonder no one will buy this place."

John smiled. "That's not all. The sitters of this house said that they could see all of the ghosts, except one. The next thing they knew, they had a knife in their hand, covered in their own blood, as if they were trying to commit suicide."

"Please, stop," Alicia pleaded. "Just stop. The frat party story was enough."

"Just think… we are one person short from having the number of people here during the lock in," Able said with a smile.

"I think I'll go fix the breakers now," Frank said quickly, standing up and breaking the trance.

Joe turned around and pulled Alicia into a hug. "You never were one for ghost stories."

"Ghosts aren't real," Nancy reassured.

Alicia scoffed. "I know, and I'm glad. It's better than being afraid of clowns, which are real."

"Hey!" Able cried defensively. "Clowns are seriously creepy, okay?"

"Bad news, guys!" Frank called up the basement stairs. "Circuits are completely fried! I think we're going to be in the dark tonight."

"Oh come on…" Alicia whimpered. Joe patted her on the back and handed her his flashlight.

John sighed. "I really wanted to solve the mystery of what happened here, though. How are we supposed to do that without lights?"

As Frank walked back into the room, Alicia sat up straight. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Nancy asked.

Everyone stayed still, and there was a rustling noise from the second story of the house. "Mice," Alicia said, hopefully.

"Ghosts," Able said with a grin.

Joe glared at him. "Or a clown making man eating balloon animals."

"Touché," he muttered.

"I'm going to check it out," Frank and Nancy said simultaneously. Frank smiled and gave a mock bow towards the stairs.

"Ladies first."

After they walked up the creaky stairs, there was a solid knock on the door. "I'll get it," Alicia said quickly. "Just in case anyone comes up in a clown costume."

"Ha ha, you are so funny."

Alicia grinned and opened the door wide, and her face immediately morphed into one of shock. "Jinkies…"

Joe, in his best 'Shaggy' imitation, said, "Like, dude, Scoob, Velma just said 'Jinkies'!" Two seconds later, he and Able were debating politics with John moderating, completely oblivious to what was going on at the front door.

"Jack, I didn't think you were coming tonight." Alicia's voice had changed, as Ned Nickerson stepped through the door.

"Alicia, are you alright?" he asked, concerned. She shook her head out, and looked up at him, startled.

"I'm sorry, yes, just… zoned out a moment. Ned, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming."

Ned shrugged. "I came to see Nancy. I… I wanted to ask for forgiveness and see if we could try again."

_"You know how much I love her, Jenny. I need her. I'm going to ask her to take me back." _

Alicia shuddered at the thought of the ghost story playing out. "She and Frank are upstairs investigating a mysterious noise. My bet is rats. Joe's are clowns making balloon animals." She held up her hand. "Don't ask. You… would you like me to get you something?"

_"She's upstairs. Don't you want something to eat first?"_

"No, but thank you. I'm just going to go say hi." Ned smiled at her and walked up the stairs.

_"No, I'll come back down later. I need to speak with her before I lose my nerve."_

_Jenny watched with a broken heart as Jack climbed the stairs. They were getting back together, and he still hadn't given her another glance. With a sad sigh, she walked into the kitchen, prepping more food for the small group of people. _

Alicia sighed, then turned back to the room. "Anyone want anything?"

"Nope!"

"I'm good."

"Same here!"

_Just me then, _she thought, sighing again. She turned the flashlight to the kitchen and headed to make herself a snack. _Something cheerful, and ghost free._


	5. Chapter 5

_**update! no new posts! cruise! sorry, it surprised me too! A/N: Sorry I haven't updated! I had a fever the past week, and have been brain dead all week! I'll try and catch back so my climax does hit on halloween! Thanks for the reviews.**_

* * *

_"I don't think there really is anuuuupything up here," Grace said firmly. "Jenny is just trying to scare us after that story."_

_Hanson smiled, pulling her close. "You don't believe in ghosts?"_

_"Not anymore than I believe I'm going to let that sorry excuse for a Homecoming King back into my life," she grinned, moving closer. "Aren't you going to kiss me?" _

_"You are ruining the surprise," he chuckled, leaning in and kissing her passionately._

_Jack stared, then turned and quickly walked back down the stairs, into the kitchen. "Why didn't anyone tell me they got together?!" _

_"What are you talking about, Jack?" Jenny looked frightened as Jack pulled out the chef knife. He brought the knife to his own heart. "Jack, If you do that, I'll kill them and myself!"_

_But it was too late. Jack brought down the knife, spraying-_

Alicia screamed, and everything in the house froze. Joe was the first to run into the kitchen. "Alicia, What's-"

She and Ned were covered in blood, no knives or sharp objects insight. Ned had collapsed against the counter, and Alicia was lowering him to the floor. "Oh my gosh! Ned! What happened?!"

"Frank… Nancy… guh…"

Joe's eyes widened and he shot up the stairs, followed by Able. "They aren't here!" Joe shouted down.

John looked shocked. "We should call someone," he said, moving to pull out his cell phone, patting his pockets frantically. "My phone is missing…" Alicia looked up, alarmed, then reached into Ned's pocket.

"That's strange, Ned's phone battery just died," she said with a quick glance at the screen, before looking at hers. "Mine too." She looked down at Ned and squeezed his hand. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I honestly just feel bruised… and…uhn… like someone knocked the air out of me." He reached up a finger to her lips to shush her as she started to protest. "I'm peachy."

"I'm not," John said angrily. "Who are you, what are you doing at my party, and what the _heck _is going on here?!"

Alicia sighed and sat up, glaring at John. "This is Ned Nickerson, and he's one of my friends. I invited him earlier, but didn't think he'd be able to make it, and I'll tell you what's going on! It's those stupid ghosts of yours! I bet you got their story wrong, so they are going to re enact the story until you get it right! That's what really drove those people insane!"

Ned sat up slowly with some effort and patted Alicia on the back. "Calm down. Everything will be alright. I'm not hurt, and I'm sure Nancy and Frank can get out of whatever scrape they got themselves into."

"How dare you insinuate I got my facts wrong?! I got them straight from the police report! Kitchen: Jack was found in the kitchen, knife in chest, hands on blade, ruled as a suicide. Jenny was right next to him with her wrists slashed, rope burns on her hand, and nail scratches on her arms. Suicide. Bloody Mess." He took another step and pointed to the Living room. "Chris, Michael, Larry, ect. All died of asphyxiation, all burners on the stove and on the heater had been turned on, flames blown out, they had to cut off the gas and wait before entering the house. Upstairs, Grace found, lipstick and dress a mess, handprint around her throat. Hanson, hanging from a hole in the attic, neck broke on fall, murder or suicide is much debated, but I think Jenny murdering everyone makes for a much better story."

The glasses in the kitchen shook violently, and the power surged brightly for a moment before cutting back out. Ned raised his eyebrows as Joe came back down stairs, shaking his head.

"I don't think Jenny agrees with that statement," he said with a smirk.

Alicia covered her ears and was murmuring over and over again, 'There're no such things as ghosts. There're no such things as ghosts. There're no such things as ghosts.'

"There _are _no such things as ghosts," John said firmly. "Come on, guys. It was just a story. You are supposed to be the rational ones."

"Alright, then," Able said. "Where are Fred and Daphne then? Uh… Nancy and…"

"Frank," Joe said with an eye roll.

Able shrugged. "LSATs. No room for names. Except intelligent girls."

Ned coughed delicately, and Alicia shook her head. "Down, tiger."

"I guess we should go look for them, then?" Ned said, getting to his feet painfully.

"You sure you are okay?" Alicia asked, standing quickly with him. He smirked.

"It'll take more than this to scare me off, Alicia."

A high pitched scream echoed through the house, and everyone turned towards the stairs.

"However, that might," Ned admitted slowly. "That didn't sound like Nancy."

John looked determined. "Alright, let's check this out. Someone is crashing my Halloween, and I planned this perfectly! They are not getting away with this."

The scream came again, and John ran for the stairs. "Who is there?! Show yourself!" As soon as he reached the top stair, he whirled around, looking for the source of the scream. All of a sudden, he slipped on something wet, and fell hard, hitting his head on the floorboards. Wincing, he reached up and stared. His hand was covered in—

"—Blood…." He whispered, turning green. Looking up, he saw the walls had trails of bloody handprints across the walls. Then everything went black.


End file.
